“St Maturitius House, this building, this service, is really important for the people, the African Caribbean People, because we are still experiencing racism, it may not look like in the open, but it is still going on.”

- Mrs. Wilmot

St Mauritius House is a sheltered housing scheme for the elderly in Lewisham managed by Hyde Housing Group and located in the same neighbourhood as The Calabash Centre in Catford. St Mauritius House particularly serves African-Caribbean, Asian, and other ethnic minority elders, with many of the elders at St Mauritius House having ties to the Windrush Generation.

During a visit to St. Mauritius House, we asked the elders to recall their earliest experiences of racism. For many, these were extremely painful and traumatic memories. Resident and elder, Mrs Wilmot, shared her story of leaving Jamaica for London in August 1961, they came with great hopes, desires and dreams, they came young, strong and virile, they came full of love for Great Britain. Like many others of her generation, she worked a working-class healthcare job contributing to the city’s economy, to quote fellow resident and elder, Mr Watson, “if it wasn’t for the Black Man, Britain, would be down in the dumps…it would be NOTHING!” Throughout Wilmot’s career, she often faced racism and endured racist abuse on the job, before eventually retiring and moving to St Mauritius House. Many Black elders at the housing scheme shared this experience. They recalled the experience of settling into their ‘new home’ and learning the nuances and behaviours of the British culture while trying their best to navigate the systemic racist and classist systems, which dehumanised them at every step. As a result, they become self-sufficient, self-reliant and supportive of each other in a ‘Strange Land’, summarised in the saying “never borrow, make sacrifices, and be prepared to do without.”

Over the years, St. Mauritius House has become a community where family, friends, and neighbours could live alongside other elders who share their history and culture, fostering mental health and well-being. It is also a safe space where individuals can connect and share their experiences of racism while living in the UK. Mrs Wilmot described St Mauritius House as a safe place for black pensioners who are still experiencing racism today, she hopes that younger generations can stand up for themselves in support of each other and in celebration of their heritage.